Law enforcement agencies statewide are partnering this holiday season to boost safety and continue the fight against impaired driving.
The Illinois State Police joins local law enforcement agencies throughout the state for the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over/Click It or Ticket holiday campaign. Through New Year’s weekend, more than 200 local police and sheriff departments will partner with the Illinois State Police in conducting nearly 100 roadside safety checks, 400 safety belt enforcement zones (at least half of those during late-night hours) and hundreds of additional impaired driving and nighttime safety belt patrols. Motorists are advised that impaired driving or failure to buckle up will get them arrested or ticketed.
PLEASE drive carefully. Have a designated driver. We want to see you next year, too. Happy New Year!
It’s out with the old, in with the new. But before you kick off those New Year’s resolutions, CMT will recap this year’s best videos in a 3-hour countdown special, TOP 30 VIDEOS OF 2011, premiering Saturday, December 31 at 8:00-11:00 a.m., ET/PT. From dirt roads to red Solo cups, the list includes a wide spectrum of topics and artists that left you humming all year long. Watch CMT to find out which video will claim the number one spot!
Wynonna Judd is now engaged! Her longtime musician-boyfriend,Cactus Moser, of the Country band, Highway 101, popped the question Christmas Eve. They have been dating since 2009 & have been touring together.
Congratulations to Wynonna & Cactus!
As we get ready to close out the year, reflect, & look forward to a new year, Country artists are also making resolutions for 2012....
Taylor Swift: "I think my goal for the next couple of years would be to make departures in little ways and do things differently and maintain a balance and continue writing all my own songs." Lady A: "Next year we've got a pretty heavy touring schedule, but we've learned hot to balance that, how to have a good time at home and continuing to find the balance-which is where we get our inspiration and where our songs come from." Miranda Lambert: "I'd love to actually write a song that is nominated for song of the year. And eventually over the next 5 years-I'd maybe like to win Entertainer of theYear--when I've earned it!" Brad Paisley: "I have a career that's on a bit of autopilot in the sense that I can rest easy a little bit more....I guess I have just learned to be a little bit more comfortable with who I am." Blake Shelton: "I really would like to Dia's Record take off and do well, and Xenia has made a great record. My heart is there for them."
Blake Shelton will ring in the New Year with two of his co-stars from The Voice. Blake will join New Year's Eve With Carson Daly, which will air on NBC live from New York City's Times Square. Carson Daly also serves as emcee of The Voice. Blake's fellow judge from The Voice, Cee Lo Green, will also join him as well as Tony Bennett.
Tom Cruise's latest mission has won a holiday weekend! Studio estimates have placed "Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol" at a solid #1 at the boxoffice with an estimated $46.2 million for the 4-day holiday weekend and is expected to reach over $72 million by Tuesday. The "Sherlock Holmes-A Game of Shadows" came in at #2 with "Alvin & the Chipmunks-Chipwrecked" followed by "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo." Steven Spielberg's "War Horse" opened on Sunday, Christmas Day and is expected to do very well as figures are still coming in on the number of ticket sales from over the weekend continue to be counted.
Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Be sure to listen to "American Country Christmas" with your host, Kix Brooks. It starts at Noon Christmas Day.
Excitement building for Super Bowl 46 in Indianapolis! The Super Bowl is Feb.5th. But, there's more entertainment than Madonna. In the days leading up to the big game Darius Rucker & Dierks Bentley will perform free concerts in the "Super Bowl Village." Sara Evans is also scheduled to perform. They and others will be on stages outside the stadium beginning January 27th. A specific schedule has not been announced yet.
This is the 2nd biggest week of the year for album sales! And once again Scotty McCreery's present has come early. His "Clear As Day" CD is once again the top country album of the week-with a 30% gain in sales. Lady A's "Own The NIght" CD sales are up 60% to land at #2. Jason Aldean's "My Kinda Party" is #3, Taylor Swift's "Speak Now-World Tour" is #4 & Toby Keith's "Clancy's Tavern" rounds out the top 5.
Good News! Brad Paisley & Zac Brown could each find themselves nominated for OSCARS! Songs they have written qualify to be nominated for Academy Awards. Brad wrote "Collision ofWorlds" for CARS 2 and Zac wrote "Where The River Goes" from FOOTLOOSE. We'll find out in January if they make it to the next level. The Oscars are in February.
When it came to the best & the brightest holiday displays, the home of Billy Adelman took the top prize of $400 in Holiday Cash for the "Show Us Your Christmas Lights" contest!
If you cannot make it out to see his family home all decked out with twinkling lights-check it out
on-line at 1077thebull.com under the "watch" link located on top of the homepage.
Thanks to everyone who downloaded their festive photos! Stay tuned for details coming soon for our next online contest from 107-7 The Bull!
Our nation's capital is the background for the Annual Christmas in Washington Special tonight on TNT. This will be the 30th anniversary. A holiday tradition that benefits the National Children's Medical Center. Hosted by Conan O'Brien, this star-studded concert includes The Band Perry, Justin Bieber. Jennifer Hudson, Cee Lo Green & others. The concert is attended each year by the President & First Lady. Check it out at 7pm (Central) on TNT.
This could be George Clooney's year! George, not only was he nominated for Best Actor for "Descendants," but his film "The Ides Of March" had a strong showing, giving him additional nominations for directing & for co-writing that political fim. It has also been nominated for Best Picture. Also up for Best Picture-Drama category: The Descendants, War Horse, Moneyball. The Ides of March, The Help, and Hugo.
The 69th Annual Golden Globes are set for Jan. 15. Ricky Gervais will be back as host.
A 4-time People’s Choice Awards winner, Faith Hill is one of the music industry’s top vocalists. She is a five-time Grammy Award winner, who has also won three Country Music Association Awards, 12 Academy of Country Music Awards, and four American Music Awards. Her 17-year career has been highlighted by the sale of over 30 million records worldwide, during which time she has celebrated 13 #1 singles and 20 #1 videos. She is the only female artist to have her last three studio albums -- 1999’s BREATHE, 2002’s CRY and 2005’s FIREFLIES -- all debut consecutively at #1 on Billboard’s Top Pop Album Chart and Country Chart.
A winner has been named in Keith Urban and People.com's nationwide contest offering fans the chance to make a commercial for the Phoenix by Keith Urban cologne. Hundreds of fans submitted videos, but Keith decided Eric Noffsinger rose above the rest with his sexy, 30-second commercial featuring actress Julie Lundy. In the clip, Julie puts on her boyfriend's shirt and smells it, thus creating a sense memory with the cologne. Keith's song "Raining on Sunday" provides the background music for the commercial, which is set to air on ABC's The View on December 21.
As the contest winner, Eric Noffsinger will get tickets and airfare to one of Keith's concerts in 2012 and a Phoenix gift pack including the cologne, after shave, body wash and wrist watch.
Everyone has had one of these at one time or another-a holiday sweater that someone gave you as a gift. Lady A wants to see it! If you've been hiding your gaudy holiday sweater in the back of your dresser drawer, the members of Lady Antebellum are giving you a reason to take it out and wear it with pride. They want you to tweet @ ladyantebellum photos of you in your tacky holiday with .OwnTheNightTour and .TackySweater hashtags. Prizes are available. Details are at www.LadyAntebellum.com
The Band Perry is heading into the holidays after having just won three Country Music Association Awards: New Artist of the Year, Single of the Year and Song of the Year. That’s on top of three American Music Award nominations and six American Country Award nominations under their wing. Earlier this year, they won the CMT Music Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year; the Best New Live Act Award; and two Academy of Country Music Awards for Best New Duo or Group of the Year and Best New Artist of the Year. The Band Perry has also been nominated for a Grammy and numerous other awards. The trio’s "modern throwback" style combines classic country with an eclectic infusion of rock, gospel and soul. As songwriters and musicians, their sound is distinct and rounded out by perfect three-part harmonies. The Band Perry’s self-titled debut album was released in October 2010 and was certified gold just four months later. It is poised to go platinum by the end of 2011. The album contains the triple-platinum, Grammy-nominated single "If I Die Young"; the Top 10 single "You Lie" and the romantic ballad "All Your Life.”
